Love Comes Quietly
by PoohBear813
Summary: Ron Weasley was an absolute git. Ever since Hermione had really started liking boys, she had had her eyes on him… he just never knew it. She tried for years to get him to realize her feelings for him, but nothing ever seemed to work. Just when she thought she had reached her wit's end, his eyes finally opened.
1. Chapter 1

Chapter One

Hermione wanted to pull her hair out. Why were boys so blind to what was right in front of them? It wasn't as if she hadn't made it obvious to him over the years. In fact, she felt as though she had been more than obvious. However he still remained oblivious to the fact that she was alive, so to speak.

She was determined that this year would be different. She wasn't going to allow herself to be brushed aside by Ronald Weasley. Oh no, this year she was going to show him exactly what he was missing out on.

Hermione checked her reflection in her mirror and smiled to herself. If she played her cards right, there was going to be no way Ron would be able to ignore her anymore. As she left her room, she grabbed her school bag and mentally went down her list of things she needed for school; she didn't want to leave anything behind after all.

About two hours later, Hermione was standing on Platform 9 ¾ waiting for her friends so that they could get a compartment together. She didn't have to wait long though, just moments after putting her things into the cargo hold, Hermione heard a familiar voice calling her name. She turned and smiled brightly as a young woman with flaming red hair approached her. "Hey, Ginny," she said.

"Wow, look at you," Ginny said, giving her friend a big hug, "Trying to get someone's attention?"

Hermione smiled. "You could say that," she said.

Ginny's brown eyes looked her over as she nodded and smiled in approval. "I like it," she said, "Not that you didn't look fine before, mind you."

"It's not too drastic is it?" Hermione questioned, chewing on her bottom lip.

Ginny shook her head. "Not at all, it's not like you've changed your appearance," she commented, "You've just got a sleeker look now. It's actually quite fitting considering how sophisticated you are."

"Thanks, Gin," Hermione replied, "Oh, he's coming."

Ginny pushed her things into the cargo hold and turned to see her brother and Harry walking toward them. She smiled and wrapped her arms around Harry's waist and kissed his cheek when he reached her. "What took you two so long?" she asked, "You were right behind me a bit ago."

Harry chuckled as Ron began mumbling under his breath. "Ron caught sight of Lavender snogging some bloke from Hufflepuff," he told her, "They were nearly gnawing each other's faces off."

Hermione scoffed when she heard this. "That sounds familiar," she said.

Harry laughed at her comment and nodded in agreement. "Yeah, glad I'm not seeing that all the time anymore."

 _You and me both, Harry_ , Hermione thought.

Ginny made a face and said, "You're telling me. That's something I never want to see again."

"I can hear you, ya know," Ron said.

"Well it's not like we were trying to be secretive about our conversation," Ginny told him.

Ron scowled at her and slid his trunk into the cargo hold forcefully. "Well maybe you should think about a person's feelings before you start poking fun at them," he said before stalking off.

Hermione's jaw dropped slightly. "Does he still have feelings for Lavender?"

"I guess so," Harry said with a shrug, "Though I don't understand why he would."

Hermione's brow furrowed as she followed after Ron. Even though she wasn't happy about the fact that Ron might still harbor feelings for his ex-girlfriend, she wasn't about to let one of her friends be alone in a time of need. "Ron!" she called.

Ron kept walking, causing her to run so that she could catch up to him. "Ron…"

"Hermione, I'm not in the mood for a pep talk alright?" Ron said when she finally reached him.

Hermione grabbed his arm and yanked him slightly. "For your information, I wasn't coming to give you a pep talk," she snapped, letting go of his arm, "And I'd appreciate it if you wouldn't bite my head off."

Ron ran his hand through his hair and sighed deeply. "Look, I'm sorry for snapping at you just now, but I really just want to be alone right now."

"Ron, I…"

Ron stopped walking and looked at her for the first time. "Hermione…"


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter Two

Ron continued to look at Hermione with a slightly stunned look on his face. He was used to seeing the plain bushy-haired brunette whenever he looked at Hermione but instead, he found himself facing a young woman who wasn't quite as plain as she used to be. "Ron, what is it?" Hermione asked when his words didn't continue.

Ron stared at her for another moment before shaking his head and saying, "Nothing, never mind."

Hermione rubbed her forehead in slight frustration as she said, "You know, for once in your life do you think you could stop bottling everything inside and just… talk?"

"Don't feel much like talking just now, thanks," Ron replied, turning and beginning to walk away.

Hermione let out a low growl and, once again, followed Ron as he stalked off. "Ron, will you just stop and talk to me?"

Ron stopped and whipped around to look at her. "Hermione, I already told you; I don't feel like talking," he snapped, "I don't want to share my feelings; I don't want to open up."

"Well, the more you bottle things in, the angrier you're going to become," Hermione snapped back, "It's not healthy to hold things in and you know it. I mean, look at what happened to Harry during our fifth year."

"Well let's try this; I'm not Harry!"

"I know exactly who you are, Ronald! However, who you are isn't the point…"

"Oh, well then please tell me what the bloody point is, I mean really, I'm dying to know."

"The point is, if you keep harboring your feelings the way that you are right now, you're likely to figuratively explode… or considering your magical heritage, combustion is even a possibility."

Ron ran a hand through his hair and sighed loudly. "Listen, not that I don't appreciate the fact that you're trying to make me feel better, really I do…"

"But?"

"But I'd rather you just kept your nose out of my business."

Hermione took a deep breath and bit her bottom lip to keep herself from allowing the tears that wanted to fall from her eyes to do so. "Well at least I care about what's going on with you," she snapped.

"Just leave me alone, alright? I'm not in the mood to deal with your endless supply of lectures."

Without warning, Hermione's hand came up and her palm cracked against Ron's cheek. She then turned on her heel and stormed off to find Harry and Ginny so that they could find a compartment. As she walked, tears fell from her eyes. She couldn't believe how childish Ron was acting. She was only trying to be there for him and he just kept pushing her away, just like he always did.

Suddenly, Hermione stopped walking. She ran a hand over her face in an attempt to compose herself but found that she just wanted to cry harder. There was a part of her that was saying she shouldn't be crying at all; that she understood Ron's need for solitude, but the other part of her was saying that Ron was just being a great prat and needed to get over himself.

Hermione, stop being so hard on him, she told her-self mentally, you know what it's like to care for someone so much it hurts, I'm sure that's what's going on with him. Ugh! Why does it have to be Lavender Brown though? I mean, what does she have that I don't?

As she stood there pondering what Ron could have seen, or still saw, in Lavender, Hermione began to get the feeling that she was being watched. She wiped her eyes quickly as she tilted her head up and looked around. Before she had the chance to find the source of her "paranoia", Hermione found herself looking straight into the brown eyes of her best female friend. "Hey, Gin," she said quietly.

"He's not taking things very well, is he?" Ginny questioned.

Hermione wiped a fresh tear away from her cheek as she shook her head and said, "Not in the least."

Ginny placed her arm around Hermione's shoulders and rubbed the upper part of her arm. "I wouldn't worry about him just now, Hermione," Ginny said, "You know how Ron gets when he's upset about something."

"Yes, he completely shuts down; bottling up every single thing that's bothering him until he decides that he's ready to just explode and takes it out on the people he supposedly cares about."

"Hermione, you know Ron cares about you; you're one of his best friends."

Hermione sniffled and nodded her head as she ran her hand through her hair. "Yeah, and at this rate, that's all I'll ever be."


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter Three

A week later…

Ron sat near the fire place in the Gryffindor common room quietly watching the crackling blaze. He had done this every night that week. For him, it was better to sit quietly and stare at things without thinking than to actually feel the hurt he tried to mask throughout each day.

As far as he was concerned, Lavender had been, and was, the only girl for him and he wanted to get her back. Deep down, however, he knew that that wasn't going to happen any time soon. Since their break up, many people had tried to convince him that Lavender just wasn't for him and that he'd find someone better suited for him, but he just couldn't believe it.

Sure; he and Lavender had had their spats and she annoyed him quite a bit of the time, but he was in love with her. At least, he felt he was in love with her, and that was the same thing, right? "Ron?"

Ron looked away from the fire and saw Hermione sitting next to him on the rug. "Can you believe how she's acting?" he asked her quietly, turning back to the fire.

For a moment, Hermione looked puzzled, and then a look of understanding came over her face. "Lavender," she said.

Ron nodded. "The way she's carrying on, like we never meant anything to each other… How can she do that to me?"

As he spoke, Ron turned once again to Hermione with an expression of hurt on his face that she had never seen before. True she had seen him upset and hurt before, but it was never anything like the way he was looking at her now. Blast that Lavender for hurting him in such a harsh manner, she thought.

"Hermione, can I ask you something?"

"Of course, Ron."

"It's sort of a personal question…"

Hermione gave him a soft smile and placed her hand on his forearm for a brief moment. "Ron, you can ask me anything; no matter how personal."

"Do you think I'm a bad boyfriend?"

Hermione furrowed her brow and chewed on her bottom lip for a few moments before asking, "Are you sure I'm the right person to be asking that question to?"

"You're one of my best mates, and you're a girl… who better to ask?" Ron questioned, turning his whole body to face her.

"I've never been your girlfriend, Ron," she pointed out.

"True, but you've been around me when I had a girlfriend so you know how I acted."

Hermione sighed and said, "Well, I can't speak for any private time you had, but I can say that from what I saw; you were an acceptable boyfriend."

Ron's shoulders slumped a bit. "Well, if that's the case, then why aren't Lavender and me still together?"

"I'm not sure, but, to be honest, I'm glad you're not."

To say that Ron was shocked by these words would be very much so, an understatement. He was beyond shocked; flabbergasted. "Why would you say something like that?"

"Because it's the truth," Hermione practically snapped. "I'm happy that the two of you aren't together because now I don't have to sit around watching you snog each other senseless wishing it was me you were snogging."

As soon as she had spoken those words, Hermione's hand flew up and clamped over her mouth. She had not meant to actually tell Ron that she fancied him but she knew that now there was no way she could back track and cover up what she had just said. Ron had heard her, and he had understood her, that much was clear by the mixed expression of shock and curiosity written on his face.

The longer Ron just kept staring at her and not saying anything, the closer Hermione came to tears. She finally pulled her hand away from her mouth and let it drop into her lap, staring down at her hands as she began wringing them together. Finally unable to bare the silence between then any longer, she got to her knees and made to stand up.

"Why didn't you say anything?" Ron whispered as she got to her feet.

Hermione sniffled and wiped at her eyes momentarily before saying, "I was hoping I'd never have to. I thought maybe you'd figure it out and then maybe you'd make a move… but you never did… in nearly seven years, you've never figured it out."

Tears were flowing freely from Hermione's face now as she stood there, looking down at him. "I should have known that you'd never see me as more than your friend," she sobbed quietly.

Before Ron could stand up to somehow comfort her, Hermione turned on her heel and ran up the steps that led to the girls dormitories. Ron sat there, completely helpless as he watched Hermione run up the stairs and out of sight. He sighed and put his head in his hands thinking to himself, _what do I do now?_


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter Four

The moon gave off the only light as Hermione lay curled up in her bed with tears dampening her pillow. She had hoped for so long that Ron would finally look past their friendship and actually take notice of her but it seemed like that was never going to happen. Even now, after she had accidentally let her feelings for him slip, he had just sat there staring at her.

As she sobbed softly, the door to her dormitory creaked open. "Hermione?"

Hermione sniffled as she looked over to the door at the sound of Ginny's voice. "Hermione, what's happened?"

She wiped her eyes as she sat up and lit the lamp on her night table. "I just made the biggest fool of myself I ever could have," she said.

Ginny stepped into the room and closed the door. She then walked over to Hermione's bed and sat down. "Is it really that bad?" she asked.

"It's awful, Ginny. I don't think I can ever speak to Ron again."

Ginny furrowed her brow as she said, "And why not?"

"I told him how I feel about him and… well; I don't think he feels the same way."

"I was wondering why he looked more confused than normal," Ginny joked.

Hermione sniffled again as a few more tears fell down her cheeks. "I really can't blame him," she confessed, "I told him something big. I'm sure if I had been on the receiving end of my little rant then I'd probably be feeling just as confused as he is right now."

"Ron's a git, Hermione; that's something we all know. What we don't know, is how he feels about you."

"Ginny, if he felt anything for me then he would have stopped me running off. As is was, he just sat there and did nothing."

"Well in that case, it could be that Ron just needs a bit of time to process what you've told him," Ginny offered.

"Perhaps, but there's no way I could face him again after…"

"Hermione Granger! You stop talking like that this instant!" Ginny practically snapped. "Now, whatever Ron's feelings might be, you're going to come out of this room holding your head high."

"How am I supposed to do that after Ron's reaction a bit ago?"

Ginny cleared her throat and looked Hermione dead in the eyes. "Alright, you want to be logical? You simply continue on as if nothing happened."

Hermione looked at her skeptically. "That's impossible, Ginny."

"No, it really isn't. Don't you remember how you tried making Ron jealous last year with Cormack?"

"Of course I remember, but I can't do something like that again. I can't walk around pretending that I'm alright when I'm not," Hermione told her. "The truth of my feelings is out now and I think it's high time that Ron either decides to take a chance on those feelings, or not. Until then, I'm going to give him time to sort it out and then when he's ready to make a decision, he can come and talk to me."

Meanwhile…

Ron was sitting with his back against his favorite chair in the common room, exactly where Hermione had left him about a half hour before. His mind was racing with thoughts of the fact that Hermione had feelings for him. Never in his life would he have thought that she would like him. They had been so close over the past several years that the thought had truly never even crossed his mind.

As he sat staring into the fire, contemplating what he should do, Ron suddenly felt the presence of someone next to him. He looked over to see Harry staring at him. "You're an idiot," Harry said simply when Ron gave him a questioning look.

Ron sighed heavily and ran his hands over his face as he said, "You really don't have to tell me that, mate."

"Well, I figured someone needed to tell you because you were too blind to see it for yourself."

"Harry, come on, how the bloody hell was I supposed to know how Hermione felt about me."

Harry chuckled. "It's called opening your eyes, mate," he replied. "Hermione's been mad about you for years."

"Oh and I suppose you've known all along?" Ron asked sarcastically.

Harry laughed and shook his head. "Ron, I didn't figure out Ginny fancied me until she told me," he said. "Hermione's another story though. It took me a long time to figure it out but I have to admit I felt like a ponce once I did. I mean, she's been putting it in front us for a while now."

Ron let out a deep sigh that turned into a groan. "What am I going to do, Harry? I mean; I'm not over Lavender, how am I supposed to take all of this?"

"Don't ask me, it's not my situation."

"But you're my best mate! You're supposed to give me advice on things like this!" Ron argued.

Harry nodded and furrowed his brow in thought. "Alright then here's what I think," he said after a few minutes, "I think you should give Hermione a chance. You know what a great girl she is; why not find out if there's something between the two of you?"


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter Five

Christmas…

Over the past three months, Hermione had done everything she could keep herself from thinking about Ron. Of course, it didn't help that he was nearly always around. However, tonight she was going to have fun. It was Christmas after all and there was a grand ball being held.

Hermione ran a brush through her mass of curls and smoothed her dress as she looked herself over in the mirror one final time. She chewed on her lip as she regarded herself and then scrunched her nose. Well, you're no Juliet, but it'll work, she thought. She then turned and headed out of the dormitory.

Ginny met her in the common room, smiling brightly when she saw her. "Wow, Hermione you look gorgeous!"

Hermione smiled and shook her head as she said, "Nowhere near as gorgeous as you look. Harry's going to drool."

Ginny spun around playfully, showing off the long green dress she was wearing. "When I heard we were having a ball for Christmas, I wrote to Fleur and asked her if I could borrow a dress… this is the one she sent me."

"That was awfully kind of her… Green is such a great color on you."

Ginny smiled and fluffed her hair a bit with a playful air. "Thank you. Now come on, let me get a good look at you."

Hermione turned and then looked at Ginny questioningly. "What do you think?"

"I think that if Ron doesn't pluck up the courage to finally tell you how he feels, then he's a stupid git who doesn't deserve such a gorgeous girl."

Hermione smiled sadly and looked down at her hands. "Ginny, I really don't think there's any hopes for Ron and me. It's been far too long since I told him how I felt about him and he hasn't made any attempts to… well, he hasn't even spoken to me much since that night."

Ginny placed her arm around Hermione's shoulders and smiled tenderly. "Hermione, don't give up," she said. "I've been watching the two of you for a while now and I know that Ron has feelings for you. He's just too blind to see them… give it time."

"I've given him seven years, Ginny… How much more time can I possibly wait?"

"Maybe you won't have to wait much longer," Ginny said knowingly.

"Ron, will you stop fidgeting?" Harry asked with a roll of his eyes.

Ron gave a soft grunt of frustration and ran his hand through his hair. "Where the bloody hell is she?"

"Hermione?"

"Of course, Hermione… who else would I be asking about?" Ron asked sarcastically.

Harry rolled his eyes yet again and adjusted his bow tie. "Are you actually going to talk to her tonight, or are you going to just stare at her?"

"I'm going to talk to her," Ron stated. "I can't take the silence anymore."

Harry looked at him questioningly. "Does this mean you've figured out your feelings for her?"

Ron sighed as he looked at Harry and said, "I've been so blind, Harry… blind and stupid. I can't believe I've gone all this time without seeing what's been right in front of me."

"Well, yeah… but I can't really say anything about it because I was the same way," Harry said.

"I just hope it's not too late," Ron whispered.

"The only way to know is to talk to her."

Ron nodded his head and stood up a bit straighter. "Yeah, you're right… I'm going to just walk right up to her and…" Ron didn't finish his sentence. He was too busy staring at Hermione who had just come into view with Ginny.

He felt as if he couldn't breathe. Hermione looked more beautiful than he had ever remembered her looking before. She was wearing a deep blue satin dress that looked as if it were made just for her and her hair was hanging freely in neat curls.

As she reached him, Hermione looked up at him hesitantly and gave him a weak smile. Ron returned the smile and tried to speak, but no sound came out. He then cleared his throat and said, "You look beautiful."

"Th… thank you," Hermione replied.

Ron suddenly felt hot. "Excuse me."

Without saying another word, Ron bolted down the hall and out of sight. He didn't stop until he was outside in the cool air. He took several deep breaths and cursed. _You're such a ninny_ , he told himself, _Why can't you just tell her how you feel?_

Hermione stared after Ron, willing herself not to cry. She had hoped he would speak to her, and just as soon as he had, he ran off as though he couldn't stand the sight of her. She looked at Ginny and Harry and said, "I think I'm just going to go back up to the common room."

Ginny shook her head and gently grabbed Hermione's arm. "Oh no you don't," she said sternly. "You're going to walk into the Great Hall with us and you're going to have a good time… is that understood?"

"Ginny, I'm sorry but I just can't…"

Hermione pulled her arm out of Ginny's grasp and hurried down the hall in the opposite direction that Ron had gone, wiping her eyes. Harry and Ginny looked after her as she disappeared from view. "I swear those two are going to make me crazy if they don't stop this nonsense," Ginny commented.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter Six

Hermione practically slammed the door to her dormitory shut as she walked over to her bed. She was angry, no, more than angry, that Ron had run off the way he had. Yet, at the same time, she was deeply hurt.

The tears fell freely from her eyes as she threw herself down on her bed. Tonight was supposed to have been a magical night, but Ron's running off had ruined that for her. She had wanted so badly for him to start talking to her again and just when he had, he seemed repulsed.

I've ruined everything, she thought.

Ron stood in the entrance of the Great Hall, breathing deeply. He was trying to work up the courage to show his face around his friends again after his poor behavior. He felt like such an idiot for running off just when he was about to tell Hermione how he felt about her.

As his eyes scanned the large room, he saw no sign of Hermione, though he easily spotted Harry and Ginny. With one last deep breath, Ron walked into the Great Hall and headed straight for Harry. "Where's Hermione?"

"Oh, finally got your head out of your arse do you?" Harry asked with a semi-harsh glare.

Ron glared back at him. "Harry, I don't have time for best friend lectures… Where's Hermione?"

"She's probably back in Gryffindor tower," Ginny answered.

Without a word, Ron turned on his heel and practically ran all the way to Gryffindor tower. He breathlessly gave the Fat Lady the password and was allowed to enter. "Hermione?" he called, once inside, gasping for breath, "Hermione!"

"What, Ron?" Hermione snapped, appearing at the bottom of the dormitory stairs.

Ron gulped. Hermione was still dressed in her ball gown but it was wrinkled and her eye make-up had run. How could I have been so stupid as to not see how beautiful she is? He took a step toward her with a hand outstretched. "Come sit down?"

"Why should I?"

"Hermione, please, just let me explain…"

"You have nothing to explain, Ronald; you've made your feelings for me perfectly clear."

"No… I haven't," Ron practically yelled, "Now will you just sit down and hear me out? Please?"

Hermione folded her arms over her chest and narrowed her eyes at him. When she had heard Ron's voice floating up to her from the Common Room, she made up her mind not to let him tear her down. She was determined to do things on her own terms and she wasn't ready to speak to him. "Ron, we have nothing to say to each other on the matter."

"Please, Hermione… just hear me out," Ron practically begged.

When Hermione crossed her arms over her chest and narrowed her eyes at him, Ron's shoulders slumped. He walked over and sunk into the couch with his head in his hands. "I'm such an idiot," he whispered.

Hermione's face softened a bit at Ron's sincere sadness. "You're not an idiot, Ron," she said, walking over and sitting down across from him, "you just do idiotic things sometimes."

Ron gave her a timid smile and leaned forward so that his elbows were resting on his knees. "Hermione, I…," he began, "Hermione, I'm so sorry for how I've been acting lately. I just… bloody hell…"

Hermione watched silently as Ron looked down at the floor and rubbed the back of his neck. "You threw me for a loop with all of this, Hermione," he whispered, "I didn't know what to do, how to act around you…"

He took a deep breath and continued to stare at the floor as he collected his thoughts. He wanted this to go well and so far, he was failing miserably. He wasn't going to let his lack of words mess this up.

He looked up and stared directly into her eyes as he spoke with more confidence. "You've been like a sister to me for nearly seven years now; I'd never even thought about the possibility of dating you."

Tears welled up in Hermione's brown eyes and she held up a hand to silence him. "Ron, please… if you're going to break my heart again, I'd rather not hear it," she said tearfully.

Ron slinked to the floor and kneeled in front of her. "Hermione, no… This is coming out all wrong," he said with a heavy sigh as he placed a hand on Hermione's knee, "I've been stupid, Hermione… so stupid. To think that all this time I've been so blind to what was right in front of my face."

Hermione looked at him in confusion as she sniffled. "Ron, will you please stop? I don't think my nerves can handle another rejection from you."

"Don't you see? I'm not rejecting you," Ron said, cupping her cheeks in his hands and wiping her tears away with his thumbs.

Hermione took one of Ron's hands in her own and sniffed again. "Don't toy with me, Ron…," she barely whispered, "Please don't toy with me."

Ron brought his hand that Hermione was holding and lightly kissed her fingers. "I'm being completely serious, Hermione. Let me love you; let me show you the man I can be."

"Do you know how long I've waited to hear you say those words to me?"

Ron raised an eyebrow teasingly. "Those exact words?"

"Well, something like them," Hermione replied, giving him a small smile at his words.

"I'm so sorry for not seeing my love for you sooner," Ron said, "Tell me I'm not too late; tell me you haven't given up on me."

"I had almost given up hope," Hermione confessed, "I wanted to believe that you'd come around, but I never thought you would."

Ron pressed his forehead to Hermione's. "Thank you… thank you for giving me this chance."

Hermione touched her palm to his cheek. "I love you, Ronald Weasley; how could I not give you a chance?"

Ron didn't say a word; he just smiled and pressed his lips to Hermione's for the first time.


	7. Chapter 7

Epilogue

Two Years Later…

Ron slid into his suit jacket and stood in front of the mirror as he adjusted it until it felt right. He couldn't believe this day had come, and yet here he stood, dressed to the nines in a Muggle suit getting ready to marry the woman of his dreams.

As he began putting on his shoes, there was a knock on the door. "Come in," he called.

"Wow, I never thought I'd see you in a Muggle suit," Harry teased as he walked into the room Ron was using to get ready for the wedding.

Ron grinned. "Yeah, well, my bride is Muggle born so I thought it would be fitting."

Harry laughed as he reached into his pocket and pulled out a box. "Well, you're right about that," he said, "And no Muggle suit is complete without a pair of cufflinks."

He handed the box to Ron and waited for him to open it. "Wow, Harry," he breathed. He took them out of the box and handed them to Harry. "Help me put them on? I'm rubbish with Muggle things."

Harry took the cufflinks from Ron and easily slid them into the cuffs of Ron's shirt. "I don't know, mate, you seem to be fairing well with a certain Muggle born witch we're both fond of."

"And look at how royally I screwed that up before I figured out my feelings for her."

"Ron, life is full of moments where we don't see things as clearly as we think. Your feelings for Hermione were hidden under years of friendship; friendship that neither of you wanted to lose," Harry stated, "Believe me, I know what that's like. It took me years to realize my feelings for Ginny, but look at us now; we couldn't be happier."

Ron took a deep breath and straightened his clothes. "It's almost time," he said nervously, "Did I put everything on right?"

Harry nodded as he straightened Ron's tie. "You look like a Muggle," he said approvingly, "Now let's get you to the alter so you can marry our best friend."

"Hermione, it's time."

Hermione turned away from the floor length mirror and smiled at her best girlfriend. "Can you believe this day is actually here, Ginny?" she asked.

Ginny smiled brightly as she walked further into the room and picked up Hermione's veil. "It's been a long time coming, but I always had faith that Ron would get his head out of his arse and realize his feelings for you."

Hermione sat on a cushioned bench so that Ginny could put the veil on her head. "I'm so nervous I feel like I could vomit."

"You have nothing to be nervous about, Hermione," Ginny said soothingly, pinning the veil into place in Hermione's hair, "You and Ron love each other and you're going to spend the rest of your life together."

A smile bright enough to light up a chapel spread across Hermione's face at those words and she took a deep breath. "Well, how do I look?" she asked, standing up and spinning for Ginny.

"You're beautiful," Ginny replied, "Come on, let's go find your father. It's time for you to get married!"

As Ron took his place before the priest, he took a deep breath and nervously straightened his jacket. He glanced at Harry, who gave him a reassuring nod, and smiled. He then looked at the front row, where his family was seated, and locked eyes with his parents.

His mother's round face was lit up with a smile as she dabbed at her eyes with a handkerchief. His father was beaming up at him proudly while rubbing his mother's arm lovingly. The love radiating from them was what Ron felt when he looked at Hermione, what he hoped would last a lifetime.

It was then that the soft music that had been playing grew just a little louder signaling the start of the wedding.

The crowd turned their attention to the back of the little church where the double doors opened just enough for Ginny to walk through. Ron heard Harry's breath catch at the sight of her and smiled. He honestly couldn't be happier that his sister and Harry had found each other. Harry was like a brother to him and he hoped to one day be able to call him "brother".

Looking at Ginny as she walked down the aisle, Ron realized just how beautiful of a young woman she had become. She was beautiful and the floor length cream colored dress accented her flaming red hair and brown eyes perfectly. He was lucky to have her as a sister and he knew Harry felt just as lucky to have her by his side.

Ginny smiled at the pair of them as she took her place before the priest. She then looked back the way she had come. Again, the double doors opened, but this time, it was Hermione that stood behind them.

Ron couldn't breathe as she began walking toward him, arm in arm with her father. She was so radiant that she seemed to be glowing. Never had she looked so beautiful and never again would he be so blinded to her true beauty.

When Hermione's father placed her hand in Ron's, she smiled up at Ron and it was then that he began breathing again. He returned her smile and gave her hand a light squeeze as they turned to the priest.

The rest of the wedding was a blur to both Ron and Hermione for they couldn't take their eyes off each other. Even through the seemingly endless sea of people congratulating them and stealing them away for this reason or that, they still found each other through the crowd.

Finally, when the reception was over and everyone had gone home, the newly married couple had a moment to themselves. Ron took off his jacket and wrapped it around Hermione's shoulders before hugging her close to him and kissing her softly. "Has anyone told you how completely breath-taking you look tonight?" he asked her.

Hermione slid her arms around his waist as she smiled up at him. "They have," she answered, "but hearing it from you means more than it could possibly mean from anyone else."

"We've been through so much together, haven't we?" Ron questioned, taking her hand and leading her down a lit path to the beach.

"Nearly to hell and back," Hermione agreed, "and I wouldn't change a bit of it."

Ron paused so they could take off their shoes. "Hermione," he began, taking her hands in his and kissing her knuckles, "you are the best thing that has ever happened to me and even though it took me so long to wake up to that fact, I want you to know that I will forever cherish each and every moment we share; good or bad. You are my guiding light, my love… My heart."

Hermione's cheeks shown with the tears of joy streaming down her face. Ron smiled tenderly at her and brushed her tears away with his thumbs. "I love you, more than anything in this world," he said.

For the first time in her life, Hermione was speechless. She didn't even think she had a single thought in her head after the loving words Ron had just spoken.

Unable to speak through her tears, she simply wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him with as much love and warmth as she could summon from the very depths of her heart.


End file.
